Absolution
by niklovr
Summary: The night of the Decades Dance memories are rekindled. Can Bonnie and Jeremy reconnect despite the interference of witches, werewolves, vampires, and current suitors? References 3.20 "Do Not Go Gentle." Rated M for language, adult themes and supernatural elements.
1. Chapter 1

**[A/N: Thanks for checking out this fic. If you're reading my Bamon fic, **_**Everlasting**_**, I'm still working on it and the next chapter is halfway there. Last night's episode riled me up—understatement—and this wouldn't leave me alone. Reviews, comments, thoughts, etc are appreciated so don't be shy!]**

Chapter 1: Make Out Like It Never Happened

Jeremy Gilbert decided right then and there that he hated the Decade Dance. Crazy shit always happened by the end. Painful shit that tore at his insides that made him wish for do-overs and second chances. Like now.

He felt her. He sensed her. He smelled her signature, exotic perfume. He heard the quiet hitches of breath she took and the painful way she choked back her tears. Everyone crowded together in the woods, but it was only Bonnie Bennett who captured his attention. Even with his back to her, he was fully attuned to every sigh and low moan of sadness at Alaric's predicament.

_Predicament. Fuck. _

Jeremy swallowed hard at the thought. His mentor, his guardian, his friend… The man who taught him how to wield stakes with precision had now become what he had most despised—a vampire. Less than forty-eight hours back in Mystic Falls and this was the bullshit that greeted Jeremy on his return!

Then movement started around him. With Alaric enclosed in the tomb, there was nothing else to do. Nothing else to look at. Stefan escorted Elena away. Caroline ducked into the trees with Tyler close behind. Matt walked off alone. Damon lingered near Meredith, lost expressions marked both their faces. Jeremy turned and saw Bonnie taking measured steps in the opposite direction of everyone else. Her head bowed and her shoulders slumped. Having loved her, he recognized the body language immediately.

Moving quickly, he caught up to her. Automatically, his fingers slid against hers. "Bonnie, wait."

Electric. It was so cliché and so CW©, but that's what touching her again felt like. Ripples of energy coursed from their joined flesh and pulsed through him. He could have blamed it on her supernatural status, but he wasn't a kid. That explanation was too simple to be enough.

She jerked her hand free and pulled it to her chest as if she'd felt it, too. Water pooled in the sea-green eyes that stared back at him. "What, Jeremy?"

"Can we talk?"

For the briefest moment, she hesitated. His heart raced with hope and anticipation. Then a shadow crossed her features, closing her off from him. She shook her head.

"I can't. Jamie's waiting for me."

"Your mom's son," Jeremy said. "Elena told me about him."

"He's not—"

"I know it's not biological, but still." Yeah, it was a dick thing to say, but seeing her on the dance floor with the guy brought the dick out in Jeremy. He hadn't liked it, so he rushed off and acted as if he didn't care. But that was bullshit. He cared. A lot.

"I have to go."

"I'll walk you to your car." He moved in close beside her, but not too close. Just close enough for her to know that he wasn't backing down.

"Fine."

They fell into step together. The urge to talk to her about everything and nothing swept over him. The desire to wrap her in his arms and never let her go almost did him in. Somehow, he managed to keep his hands to himself. With great control, he kept his mouth shut, too. Simply, being in her presence was actually more than he expected. Yeah, he grieved for his friend, but he also relished spending time with this beautiful, amazing witch regardless how tense, or edgy it was.

The road appeared far too soon for Jeremy's liking. Her little Prius was parked underneath a lamppost and Matt stood waiting against his truck for Jeremy. He walked her to the driver's side. She actually allowed him to hold the door open for her. When she sat down, he tried to ignore how her short, flapper dress rode up to reveal her silky, smooth caramel thighs. As their gaze met, he made a note how a familiar light danced in her beautiful eyes. Then she pulled the door from his grasp, gunned the engine, and was gone.

Matt's silence as they drove through town was appreciated. Jeremy needed the quiet to collect his thoughts. Last year this time, he and Bonnie had a few issues but overall they were perfect. By far, she was the best girlfriend he'd ever had. She _knew_ him. Every cruddy, runny nose, emo, druggy phase of him and she wanted him anyway. She saw through all of it and recognized that he was hot—that he was a man. He could kick himself for fucking everything up so badly.

Why would he do that?

"Yo, man. Home or…?" Matt asked at the traffic light.

_Home?_ Jeremy sighed. He couldn't go home. Too many memories of Alaric. Of Alaric and Jenna. Of Jenna, Uncle John, and his parents.

"Or."

"Or it is."

Matt did a wheelie around the town square which was crazy as hell in that old truck. Jeremy croaked out a chuckle despite feeling like a pile of steaming hot dog shit. He wasn't too surprised when the older teen parked in the alley behind the Grille.

They slammed out of the truck. Slipping in afterhours was easy considering Matt had worked there forever and had a key. Jeremy followed Matt to the bar, taking a seat on a stool while Matt went behind the counter.

"Tonight was sick," Matt declared.

Jeremy nodded. What could he add to that?

His friend put two shot glasses on the table, grabbed a bottle of Jack and poured liberally. Jeremy's eyes lit up. He had partied some in Denver, but since coming home, he'd decided to chill. But that was before tonight. He grabbed the glass and raised it high.

"To Mr. Saltzman," Matt said.

"To Ric," Jeremy added quietly. Tears stung the backs of his eyes. One rolled stubbornly down his cheek. He didn't bother with wiping it away as he tossed the liquor back in salute to his friend.

Minutes ticked away. Empty shot glasses rested between them. Matt reached for the bottle, but Jeremy shook his head. He slumped back against the stool and stared at nothing.

"You can't just let her go off like that," Matt suddenly said.

A frown settled at Jeremy's brow, but he kept his peace.

"I mean, I know she's feisty and powerful and shit, but at the end of the day, she's still a girl."

"I'm trying to follow your logic, but um…"

"I'm talking about Bonnie, man," Matt said, shrugging as if that was obvious. "You two were…a shock to say the least, but you worked. I never saw her so happy."

"Yeah, well I fucked that up, didn't I?"

"Who hasn't?"

Jeremy shook his head. "You don't get it. I _really_ hurt her. Bad. I'm lucky she even talks to me."

"Do you love her?" Matt asked as he screwed the top on the bottle.

He didn't hesitate. "Yeah."

"Then fuck it!" Matt slammed his hand on the counter. "Get her back."

"Shit ain't ever that simple—"

"Nope, but it's worth busting your ass if you love her," Matt advised.

Jeremy stood, half-empowered by his friend's speech. "You talking about Caroline or my sister?"

Matt gave him a faint smile. "I loved them both. My problem is I didn't fight hard enough for either of them. Don't make the same mistake I did."

BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ

Bonnie headed back to the coffee shop where she'd dropped off Jamie before heading out to the woods. After Klaus' threat, she didn't want to risk anything happening to him. Having lost Grams and Abby, she wasn't about to add another to the list of casualties if she could help it.

Gyote's "Someone That I Used to Know" murmured softly from her car's speakers. _Make out like it never happened…_ The lyrics got to her, but not nearly as deep as the one-on-one with Jeremy. On the dance floor with Jamie, she could fake it, play pretend that the ex didn't matter. Make a casual mention about the deadly, psychotic ring on his finger without giving away that seeing him again made her insides burn. Seeing that ring on his finger made her want to tear it off him. Instead, she smiled, laughed and swayed in Jamie's arms. She let him kiss her and hold her.

But it felt so rough.

As she pulled to the curb and parked, she glanced into the quaint mom and pop coffee house. It was an out of the way place. Senior year was turning out to be less than the fun times she'd always envisioned. The bond she'd shared with her friends just wasn't strong as it used to be. Hanging at the Grill started to feel false so she ventured out and found this place. The O'Rileys had owned it forever. They remembered her Grams and they took her in like she was their own. When Abby ran out on her again, this was where she came.

Now that she saw Jamie sitting by the window chatting with Paddy, she wished she'd never brought him here.

As she watched her date, God, she cringed at the impulse that made her invite him to the dance. What a dumb move, but she did it to be proactive. She'd heard things through the grapevine. Major ménage-a-trois issues with Elena and the Salvatore brothers guaranteed that she wouldn't come stag as promised. Then Tyler was back in town. No way, he'd let Caroline anywhere near Klaus without going all Alpha. So that left Bonnie. Alone. Alone and dealing with Jeremy's return. Pretending that she didn't still care and not knowing how she'd react when he strode through the gym's double doors. Nope, she couldn't do it without armor. Without protection. Unfortunately, his name was Jamie and it seemed like he totally dug her.

_Fuck_.

Bonnie climbed out of the car, squared her shoulders and burst into the coffee shop. The dizzying aroma of rich, robust flavors hit her on impact. Normally, she'd inhale and go for her usual. Tonight, she just needed to get out of there. Her senses were on overload. Spells, touches, and death put her on edge. She just wanted to go home.

"Hey," Jamie said, standing upon her approach.

Paddy patted her shoulder as he moved behind the counter. "Want your usual, Bonnie-lass?"

She shook her head. "Not tonight."

"You ready to bounce?" Jamie asked.

She nodded. They said their goodnights and left. At her car, Jamie offered to drive, but she rejected it. Driving gave her something to do. It forced her to think about something other than the mistakes she'd made or the visions she'd had. She could push it back down and push forward. Always push forward, press on, her Grams used to say.

"What happened out there?" Jamie asked. "You don't look right."

"We were too late," Bonnie said.

"You did everything you could."

She nodded, unable to speak. He didn't know the half of it.

They reached her house. Bonnie parked behind his car. Silence slipped in slow and easy like. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't entirely comfortable either. Pulling him into this—her world—had been wrong. He didn't belong here.

"I'm sorry about Klaus—

"I don't blame you for that," he cut in eagerly. Too eagerly. His hand closed over hers. He moved in close enough that his breath fanned her cheek. Hazelnut and vanilla overwhelmed her. "Bonnie, I…"

"I can't do this."

She tugged free. Free of him and the car. When she met him on the sidewalk, confusion dogged his features. Lines formed at his mouth. He looked as if he wanted to hold her, but instead he shoved his hands into his pants pocket.

"Is it too fast?"

"It's too everything." She turned to head up the walk to the front door.

"Do you want company?" He followed her and stopped. "I can stay…"

She didn't bother turning around. "It's okay, Jamie. I'm fine."

"I'll call you later. Okay?"

"If that's what you want to do." She called without looking back, "Goodnight."

Flat out rudeness was not really her forte unless the person deserved it. In her heart of hearts, she knew that Jamie didn't, but he was clinging. Right now, clinging was bad. She didn't want him holding on to her. Holding on to the possibility of a _them_ that would never be.

By the time she stepped inside, he had pealed off in his car. The screech of tires whined of his disappointment in her. She didn't mind it though. Now that she was finally alone, she could think. Process. Figure out the vision she saw when Jeremy touched her hand.

The sizzle was still there. The spark that drew her to him with one glance of his chocolate brown eyes sent her quivering. He'd filled out a bit more since he left. She couldn't be sure if Denver had been good for him because it sure as hell had been awful for her.

She slipped out of the Twenties costume and slipped on a tank and short PJs. The great Christopher Bennett was Down South working on a major Civil Rights case so she had the place all to herself. A mug of tea warmed her hands as she curled on the recliner. The weight of carrying for everyone else took its toll and in her helplessness she saw it again.

_Jeremy holding her in his arms. The both of them carried away by passion and lust. Exploring each other in ways they never had when they had been a couple. Then darkness came in. Jeremy tried to shield her from it, but before she could see the outcome, the vision vanished. _

Bonnie couldn't imagine for the life of her what it meant. The thought of Jeremy dying again left her cold, shivering. Even the hot tea couldn't help. Tears clouded her vision. Memories of everyone she'd lost—Grams, Abby, and even Jeremy—rolled in a vicious loop inside her mind. Going to say goodbye to Alaric had been a mistake. It just reminded her what she already knew far too much about—death.

A knock sounded at the door. She had half a mind to ignore it, but it became insistent. The pounding was downright demanding. She slammed her mug down on an end table and stomped across the hardwood floor in her favorite bunny slippers, huge ears flopping with indignation with her every step.

One glance through the curtains left her in disbelief.

_No. Fucking. Way._

Her hands fumbled with the locks until she managed to get it all straight. Then she ripped the door open.

She curled her hands into small fists that she used to pummel his chest. The tears came in earnest then. Gone were the words she wanted to hurl at him. The pent-up anger, frustration, and hurt came out in sobs even though she'd sworn to herself that he'd never see her cry again.

He gently took her hands and kissed the fists. Crossing the threshold, he walked her backwards. Once inside, he kicked the door closed behind him. His arms came around her. His voice warm, soft and gentle murmured against her forehead.

"I know, Bonnie," Jeremy said. "I know."


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N: Thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites! You are awesome! :)]**

The characters are the property of LJ Smith and The Vampire Diaries/CW© and do not belong to me unless stated otherwise.

Chapter 2: Someone Who Knows How to Hold You Without Being Told

Jeremy held Bonnie to his chest. Eyes closed, he inhaled, breathing her in. She felt so fragile in his arms. On his lap. Shaking with the sobs that wracked her body. It killed him knowing that part of her hurt belonged to him. Was caused by him. If there was any way he could take it back—relive the last year—he would. He remembered being a kid and watching her with Elena. She was always in the house. Sleepovers happened every other weekend. They didn't know it, but he'd watch them. He'd watch Bonnie. Singing in the mirror with a hairbrush or crying on his sister's shoulder because her mom missed another birthday. For years he'd paid attention to everything about her, not once realizing he was falling for her more and more.

In time, the tears subsided. He half-expected her to leap from his lap and smack him hard across the face. When she did neither, he counted his blessings and enjoyed the feel of her again. The closeness.

She began to stir. Wiping her cheeks. Then placing a hand over his heart. That move surprised him. He debated offering more words of comfort, but in all honesty, he was at a loss. He wanted this—holding her again—but words could wreck it. Words could break the bubble of comfort that had formed around them. And he needed her in his arms. Soothing her helped him forget his own pain.

"I should make you leave," she said softly.

"Yeah," he murmured, slipping his hand under her mass of curls to rub that spot at the nape of her neck.

She trembled. "Jer, don't."

_Okay_.

He slid his hand down to rest at the small of her back. The tips of her breast strained against her thin top. His manhood stirred against his thigh. A low moan escaped from both of them. And that made her stand. As she turned her back to grab the afghan from the sofa, he admired her choice of bedtime attire. The word, JUICY, stood out on her short shorts, molding itself so nicely against her ripe bottom. Yeah, he'd been a damn fool. A complete idiot.

She wrapped the multi-colored throw around her and found Geneva on the sofa. Her safety zone rested across the room from him. He ran a hand through his hair and indulged in one of his favorite past-times, watching her.

"Well, you're here," she said. "I should kick you out."

"You said that."

"Still a smartass."

He shrugged. "More or less."

For once, Bonnie appeared as if she was at a loss. She fidgeted a little. Frowned a lot. Finally looking at him like he confused her. Jeremy tried to understand this Bonnie, but she was a mystery. The one he remembered and the one he saw at the dance tonight always had her shit together. He found it hard to believe that his coming over could freak her out this much. She had to expect him to show up at some point.

"You're surprised I came," he said.

"Actually, I am," she admitted. "And the way you held me… I…um…I wasn't expecting that."

"Why not?" he asked, slightly annoyed. "I made things clear at the cemetery—"

"No, you didn't," she interjected. "You wanted to talk. You didn't say why."

Now it was his turn to frown and be confused. "Bonnie, you were my girlfriend and I come back and some stranger has his hands all over you. Yeah, I fucked up. And yeah, we have some things to talk about."

She reared back. "You remember…_us_? I didn't think… I thought… Hmm, when you left, I didn't know. I couldn't tell." As if realizing she spoke aloud, she pressed her hand to her mouth and stood. "Never mind."

"Are you kidding me?" He stood too. Measured steps took him to her. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out again. "Why wouldn't I remember us?"

"Nothing—"

"Bonnie."

"Jer, I didn't mean it. Tonight was so hard. It was a lot, you know?" She bent to grab her tea mug, holding it front her like a shield. As if it could protect her from him. "Want something to drink?"

She was hedging and doing a piss poor job of it. But she wasn't turning him away.

"Yeah, thanks."

He followed her into the kitchen. The subtle move to change the subject didn't go unnoticed. Quite simply, he wasn't having it. Bonnie didn't waste time with words. She always meant what she said and he knew her questions had a point. For her to wonder if he remembered them only meant one thing. It sickened him to think it could be true.

"You think I was compelled."

She gripped the counter. Even though her back was to him, he read her like a book. The stiffening of her back. The faint intake of breath.

_Fucking shit_.

Without hesitation, he closed his hand over her shoulder, squeezing gently until she looked up at him. Truth glittered like emeralds in her expressive eyes. He released her and stumbled back against the wall.

"Elena," he muttered. "She strikes again."

"She said it was for the best."

His jaw clenched until it started to hurt a little. He wondered if he focused hard enough he'd remember where, when and why. Only one thing made sense.

"Denver," he said, watching Bonnie's reaction closely for confirmation. "That's why I went. It's the only way I'd leave. Fuck."

Bonnie nodded. As she moved to face him, the afghan slipped from her shoulders. He pushed off the wall to step in close enough to grab the ends of the afghan and draw her to him.

"Jeremy, no."

"I just want to talk."

"This doesn't feel like talking," she said. She didn't push him away, but she didn't lean into him either. Instead, she just stood there. Appearing to measure his intentions with her eyes.

He didn't let go, but he didn't pull anymore. "You came to see me off. You hugged me so tight—"

"We can't go back—"

"You thought I was compelled to forget," he continued as if she hadn't interrupted. Her protest meant nothing. He didn't want to go back. His intent was to go forward. "I'm sorry you believed that. That wasn't fair…to you or me."

She shook her head. "No, it wasn't."

At that, she pulled the cover from his grasp and headed back to the sink. In silence, she filled a tea kettle with filtered water and set it on the stove. He grabbed his favorite mug from the cabinet. When he set it on the counter beside her, her mouth curved into a quick, faint smile. It didn't make him a punk if butterflies fluttered in his gut. They were only there for a second or two.

"I tried to see you before it happened," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. That morning at your locker…but it was too late."

She lifted the breadbox lid and pulled out a little Ziploc baggy. Jeremy knew her well enough to know it wasn't weed.

"What's that?" He straddled a chair. This was not the night he had expected, but in some ways it was turning out better than he could have hoped.

"Your tea." She spooned the dried herbs into his mug. "It's vervain. You'll have to drink this all the time to prevent them from doing it again."

After she finished, she closed the baggy and handed it to him. He hesitated to take it. "What about you?"

"I'm supernatural. They can't compel me."

"And your dad?"

She smiled. A full-on warm smile that brightened her eyes and lit up her face. "I have him covered."

Jeremy returned the smile. His fingers brushed against her as he accepted the vervain. A dusty pink colored her cheeks. Her eyes narrowed as she wagged a finger at him.

"Jeremy."

"What?" he asked, feigning innocence. "It was an accident."

"Right."

The tea kettle's whistle came loud and strong. "I got it," he said. He poured water into his mug and waited as she added tea to hers. Then he poured her water, too. He blew into his steaming mug before taking a tentative sip.

"Yuck."

"It's not hot chocolate," she said, "but it will keep you safe."

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow. "What if I add sugar or honey?"

"Sweetners won't diminish its powers."

"What if I smoked it?"

"Jeremy!"

He laughed. "I'm kidding. Well, sorta. It really is gross."

"You know where everything is. Help yourself."

When they were together, he spent a lot of time at her place. They spent far too much of their alone time going over spells and worrying about impending doom. Jeremy regretted that they hadn't spent enough on each other. Then the ghosts came in. Keeping that from her had been a huge mistake. The thing with Anna had just been plain wrong. Cheating with a ghost when he had a real live beautiful girl who wanted him had to be the biggest dick move of the century. Although what Elena and Damon were pulling behind Stefan's back came in a close second. No matter what Rose said, he knew bullshit when he smelled it.

It took six teaspoons of sugar to cut the bitterness of vervain. Bonnie laughed at him and warned him about a diabetic coma. He took it in stride, resting a hand on her back as they returned to the main room. It was starting to feel like the last few months in Denver hadn't happened. Or Anna. But he knew better than to believe getting Bonnie back would be this easy. Things had moved so fast tonight. It couldn't be that way with their relationship. She deserved better than that. So did he.

She sat on the sofa and he settled a little shy of middle. The look thrown at him put him on notice. He understood, but he didn't move. She'd kick him out when she wanted him to go.

"So how are things going with your mom?"

She choked on her tea. Jeremy took the mug from her and gently patted her back. A coughing fit filled the otherwise silence and he knew that something was off. Something else he didn't know about.

"Bonnie?" he asked after she grew quiet and simply stared at her clenched hands.

He reached out on a whim. His hand curved to her cheek like it belonged there. Carefully, he raised her head until she looked at him. "What? You can tell me."

"My mom was turned," she said in a hoarse whisper, "and then she ran out on me. Again."

"Why do I feel like you're leaving out a lot?" His thumb caressed the swell of her cheek. "Come on, Bon. Tell me all of it. You're a witch. Elena said your mom's one, too."

"So that's what Elena told you?" Bonnie pulled his hand from her face, but she didn't let go. "She tells you about Jamie and she tells you that my mom's a witch, but she doesn't tell you the rest?"

He shook his head. Suddenly the swell of tea in his gut felt like a slab of concrete. "Was it Damon?"

"Isn't it always Damon?" Bonnie snapped.

"Why?"

"He said he didn't have a choice." The words came out bitterly. "Or better yet, Elijah forced him. Made him choose. So he chose to snap my mom's neck. But on the bright side, Elijah, Klaus and the rest of them are alive to rule another day."

"That was the choice?" Jeremy asked. How could that be a choice? Even Damon wouldn't choose the Originals over Bonnie's mother. Yeah, the guy was an asshole, but was he that heartless, too?

"Actually, the choice was Elena's," she said. She released his hand and slid to the far side of the couch. Raking a hand through her hair, she shrugged. "She knew my mom and I were helping Esther with a spell to finally rid us of the Originals and she chose to tell Elijah. In the end, it cost me my mom."

"Bonnie, no." He wanted to do something. Hold her again. Shake his sister. Stake Damon. Anything to erase the wounded look etched across her face. As long as he lived, he knew he'd never forget it. "Elena wouldn't have done that."

BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ

Minutes passed. Bonnie drew her knees to her chest. She had to find a way to stop the shaking. A glance at Jeremy told her how deeply her words affected him. That wasn't her intention, but somehow he always managed to get her to say the things she kept bottled up. Not even a day in his presence and old habits were locking into place.

"I probably shouldn't have told you."

His face had grown pale, his breathing shallow. She recognized this reaction. It usually occurred right before he did something reckless.

"Jeremy, look, it doesn't matter—"

"That's bullshit, Bonnie," he said. "Of course, it matters. Your mom is a vampire. You're witches. Being a vampire goes against everything that makes you who you are. Don't sit there and try to reason with me. You don't have to pretend me with me because she's my sister. She's not perfect. She does stupid shit. She makes mistakes, but it shouldn't cost _you_. Not you."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"I do," he said quietly. "I need to know everything. I need to understand how you're able to forgive her because I'm having a hard time with it."

"Oh, Jer."

On impulse, as if they could read each other's minds, they reached out. Their hands locked. In that moment, another vision flashed before her eyes. She saw Elena locked in a heated kiss with Damon. She sensed Jeremy's disapproval and disgust. She felt through him the moment when Damon snapped his neck. It all became so very clear. This need for forgiveness that they shared. It cut deep when the person they loved so dearly betrayed them for reasons that they found hard to understand.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You didn't do anything." He laced their fingers together and just sat there, looking at their joined hands. "You do everything you can to help and make things right. And no matter what we Gilberts find a way to fuck it up. We're the assholes, Bonnie. I'm sorry we keep hurting you."

Bonnie's heart pounded her chest. She never expected to hear those words. She'd never considered them. Had never felt that way about either of them. At least, she had never allowed herself to. Even though it scared the hell out of her, she still cared for Jeremy and his coming over and his ability to know how to hold her without being told… Loving him again would be so easy.

But he was right.

The Gilberts and the Bennetts. This thing between their families started long before either of them were born. A century ago with the other John Gilbert and her ancestor Emily. She and Jeremy had joked about it, but there had been something between those, too. Unfortunately, whatever it was wasn't enough to save her great-great-great grandmother from a fiery death or his great-great-great grandfather from insanity. Things rarely ended well for Bennett witches. And holding hands with Jeremy now felt right and good—perfect even—but the outcome…her vision predicted something dark looming over them.

It scared the shit out of her.

"Is your dad working late?" Jeremy asked.

_Oh boy_. A heavy make-out question usually followed this question. She held the stare of those delicious chocolate brown eyes until a faint blush painted his cheeks. He moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue.

"No, I'm not going there," he said in a husky voice and seductive smile. "It's late and I don't want to go if you're gonna be here alone."

_Temptation on a stick, thou name is Jeremy Gilbert._

"And to be honest," he continued, "I can't go home. If I see Elena right now… I'd rather be here with you, but if you don't want that. If you want me to go—"

"I don't, but…"

He gave her one of his all-knowing sexy grins that used to curl her toes and still did crazy things to her breathing. "It won't," he answered. "Nothing will happen."

"Okay." She nodded. "You can stay."

"Thanks." He kissed her hand and then stood. "Pillows and blankets are in the hall closet, right?"

"Yeah."

He strode from the room in that Jeremy swagger way. When he returned with the bedding, he dropped it on the sofa. "This is me."

"Okay." Bonnie moved out of his way.

"You don't have to leave." He smoothed the blanket down and adjusted the pillows to his liking. "You can stay."

She heard the smile in his voice and the teasing, but underneath all that was sincerity. It wrapped her as snugly as the afghan covered her body, hiding her skimpy attire from his wandering eyes.

"I'll be in my room."

He laughed, but it was a sweet sound. As it followed her down the hall to her room, she realized just how much she'd missed him. When they were younger and she practically lived at the Gilbert house, he was always there. A little bratty but sometimes fun. She caught him watching her a few times and it never weirded her out. It was just Jeremy. Heck, she watched him, too. As an only child, she was curious about the interactions of a full family unit complete with two siblings. He and Elena helped make her feel normal when her dad tried and failed and her Grams witchy juju seemed too bizarre to be real. When puberty hit, it took them in different directions until the supernatural put her and Jeremy back together. In a surprising, magical kind of way.

She tossed the afghan on her window seat and crawled into bed. She'd left the bedroom door open in case he needed something. Deep down, she knew if he came to her she wouldn't turn him away.

(Song credit: "Soulmate" by Natasha Bedingfield)

**[A/N: Help! I'm torn. Part of me wants to explore the thing with Esther using Bonnie as Alaric's dinner and the other part is curious about taking this fic in another direction. I'm not 100% sure which way to go. Your thoughts, please! There are no wrong answers and you won't be graded. :) As always, reviews are encouraged and appreciated.] **


	3. Chapter 3

The characters are the property of LJ Smith and The Vampire Diaries/CW© and do not belong to me unless stated otherwise.

Chapter 3: Every Tear a Waterfall

Bonnie drove with the windows down, music blaring and zero traces of guilt turning her stomach. In spite of the darkness of the night before, the sun shone brightly as if promising that everything would be better from now on. Even the sky looked bluer. Crisper. Cleaner. Clearer. Cognizant of the speed limit, she relaxed into her zone. A good night's sleep had left her feeling better in touch with nature and more confident about what she had to do. She'd left Jeremy asleep on the sofa with a little surprise waiting for him upon awakening. No doubt there'd be hell to pay when he woke up. She was content to handle that when the time came.

The road to Abby's country hideaway was just as bumpy and dusty as it had been since Bonnie left it a couple of weeks before. Visions hadn't led her there. Instinct had. She needed to see Jamie one last time. His car parked under the nearby shed confirmed that her instincts were right as usual.

She parked her Prius under the comforting, low-hanging branches of a willow tree and climbed out of the driver's seat. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she made her way to the front porch and to the door.

He appeared before she could decide whether to knock or just go inside. His expression was wary, suspicious and then a warm smile spread across his full lips. That smile reminded Bonnie of the importance of her mission.

Jamie popped the latch of the screen door and held it open. "Come in."

She shook her head. "Come out. It's nice today." There was a swing on the far end of the porch. They could sit there. She could soak up the energy from nature, gathering strength for whatever lay ahead.

"Okay." He stepped into a pair of flip flops before joining her outside. As if reading her mind, he headed straight to the swing and sat. His wide-legged position left her a bit of room, but she managed to fit.

"This is a surprise," he said without preamble. "You blew me off, you know. Shot me down cold."

"I know," she said, nodding, no regrets. It had been the right thing to do. She couldn't have imagined the outcome if he had been there when Jeremy arrived. And last night with Jeremy needed to happen. They were nowhere near where they used to be, but there was an understanding there. An opening.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"Where else would you go?" She nailed him with a hard look until his flirtatious grin dropped into a flat line of stoic resolve. "I made some wrong moves last night. It threw everything off—"

"I don't regret our date."

"I do," she said firmly. "I regret misleading you. I regret watching Klaus pick you up like a ragdoll—"

"Hey—"

"—and threaten to kill you unless I did what he wanted. I hate that he used you like that. It wasn't fair and it can't ever happen again."

"I can handle my own." A stubborn frown knitted his brow.

A humorless smile curved her mouth. She patted his knee. He was such a boy. "No, you can't."

"But…"

"There are no buts," she said. "He'd used you against me. Not just Klaus. Any of them. Not just the ones we know—Damon and Stefan—the ones we don't know, yet. You can't fight them and I can't worry about protecting you."

"So it's back to the ex." Jamie grabbed her hand when she snatched it off him. "Yeah, I doubled back and I saw him go in. I waited a bit 'cause I knew he'd get shot down, too. Boy, was I wrong. Homey stayed all night, right."

Bonnie jerked away from him and hopped from the swing. Jealousy always brought venom. She needed to get out before the poison spread too deep and there was nothing left to salvage.

"It's not what you think."

"I think you don't mind protecting him."

"Look—"

"His bumping into me wasn't an accident," Jamie said, rising from the swing. "The way he looked at you while you were doing the spell… The way you pretended not to notice him looking." He grunted. "Nah, you don't mind protecting him at all. It doesn't matter he's not supernatural, but it's okay because he's the one you want."

The energy around him begged for a fight. She refused to engage. Answering him was out of the question. Not when she was still trying to figure out how the past with Jeremy played into their present. Not when it wasn't any of Jamie's business anyway.

She dug into her bag and pulled out a large Ziploc bag of dried vervain. If last night hadn't gotten so screwed up, she would have given it to him then. Alaric's death threw everything off. Jeremy and the vision of them put her in a tailspin. Looking out for Jamie's wellbeing had been the last of her concerns by the time they reached her house.

"Here," she said. "It will protect you to a degree. It's vervain. You can find it in specialty shops."

"With me out of your life, I don't need this—"

"Don't be stupid," she snapped. "Vampires are hunters. You are prey. Take it. Eat it. Drink it. It repels them. If you don't, it's on you. It's not on me."

She spun around and kicked dust back to her car. Coming to him had not been a mistake, she told herself. It had to be done. It was the right thing to do.

"Bonnie, wait!" He reached her as she slid into the driver's seat.

"I'm a jackass," he said, mouth pursed and face sufficiently contrite. "I'm sorry. I just…I hoped that you and me… You know? With Abby gone, I don't have anybody else."

His voice had caught on the last part. If tears had come to his eyes, it would have been over for Bonnie. She understood abandonment. It hurt like a motherfucker. She hated walking away too, but after last night, there was no choice. If she let him stay in her life, she'd be signing his death sentence. He deserved a life.

"I know," she said softly. "You have to go far away and you can't look back."

He swallowed hard. His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty. "I understand. Goodbye, Bonnie."

"Goodbye, Jamie."

BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ

Silence greeted Jeremy when he woke up. Silence and peace. A strange kind of calm that he rarely felt. Usually, he woke with a start. As if something was lurking just beyond the shadows. Waiting for an opportunity. Looking for a chance to pounce. That sensation started around the time the ghosts came to him and it followed him to Denver. As he straightened up the living room and returned the bedding to the hall closet, he thought it odd the compulsion hadn't taken away that feeling, but one night with Bonnie—ridiculously platonic as it had been—had.

He padded down the hall to her room, but he knew what he'd find before he pushed the door open. Emptiness. Her energy filled up the space. It didn't make him whole, but it made him feel good.

From his position at the door, he took a wide sweep of the room. Not much had changed since his last time there. She'd talked about moving the bed and switching it with the dresser. With hell breaking loose every other day, he supposed she hadn't gotten around to it. The afghan lay neglected on the window seat. He remembered climbing through there a few times when her dad came home sooner than expected from court. Being quiet enough to keep the older man from hearing them had become a game. Achieving Bonnie's high-pitched squeals had been like winning an Olympic gold medal.

_Focus, Gilbert_, he told himself.

So he turned away from her bed and the memories it resurrected and took in the photographs that littered her dresser mirror. There was order to the madness. Images of her family, especially she and her Grams. Her dad. Photos of her and Caroline in various ages. Finally pictures of her with the Gilberts. Kiddie pics with him and Elena. Birthday pictures that included Miranda and Grayson. A telling image of she and him at the 60s Decades Dance. He couldn't imagine who took it. Even though they were together for awhile after, he didn't remember ever seeing it. And her keeping it…_here_…in the great, wide open. Yeah, she and he had a lot to talk about.

He half-expected her to return then. If she caught him snooping, it would be poetic justice. He'd have no defense. Maybe she'd punish him.

_Down boy_, he thought as his manhood stirred with interest and anticipation.

Sun filtered through the open curtains. It was late morning. He couldn't wait for her return. Plans had to be made for Alaric. Elena couldn't bare the brunt of it alone. Even though he was pissed with her questionable decision-making skills, she was still his sister. They had lost another person. They needed each other.

By the time Jeremy got home, neighbors had already started coming over with food and cards of sympathy. He marveled at how quickly news traveled. Elena had left a note for him. She was at the boardinghouse. _Of course_. She wanted him to call her. She needed to know he was safe. He sent her a text and headed up to his room. He had just finished taking a shower when he got Bonnie's text.

_I know you're mad, but I had to. Meet me at the burial house asap._

"What?" he questioned aloud.

Mad because she left? It was a whack move, but not anger-worthy. As he raised his hand to rub his face, her text suddenly had meaning.

"That little witch," he muttered.

His ring finger lay bare and empty. She must have put a spell on him so he wouldn't notice. Or maybe he was so whipped from last night that it didn't register. He couldn't be sure, but he felt like a dumbass from not recognizing it sooner.

She took his fucking ring.

Jeremy dressed in record time and broke several traffic laws to reach his destination. Asap, his ass. The Prius looked so damn sweet and innocent with the woods as a backdrop. He cursed it and came close to cursing its owner as he ran up to the burial house. Since she brought him back from the dead, the witches had closed their power off from her. He was surprised she'd come here. Maybe the witches had forgiven her in his absence. Maybe their breaking up had been the debt she owed? If so, that was fucked up.

As mad as he was about her taking his ring, he still wanted her back. What would the witches demand in exchange for that?

Once he landed on the porch, his steps slowed. A restless sort of energy vibrated up through the floorboards. He looked around. His first thought was for a weapon. But that was dumb. She wanted him there. Whatever was happening, Bonnie understood it. She wouldn't let it harm them.

He released the air he'd been holding and pushed forward. Lit candles guided his path. Sitting in the middle of a ring of flickering light, he found his beautiful, powerful goddess. She sat cross-legged. Her long dark hair lay in waves down her shoulders, framing her caramel face. A faint smile parted her full lips.

"It took you long enough."

His eyes narrowed as he willed his gaze to move past her. To take in everything and not just her ethereal presence. A grimoire lay open beside her. It wasn't as old as the others they had often pored over. In fact, it looked brand new. A plump pillow took prominence in front of her. A ring, but not the Gilbert ring, rested on top. He strode to the edge of the circle of candles but he didn't step inside.

"You can come," she said. "Sit down."

Words took their time coming to mind, so he didn't push it. Instead, he obeyed and sat where she instructed, directly opposite her.

"What's going on?"

"You're getting a new ring."

"Bonnie—"

"Jeremy," she said, "the other one has bad energy. You can't wear it anymore."

"Won't the same happen with the new one?"

She shook her head. "No, I made a deal with nature."

"No." He moved to get up.

She grabbed him, holding him so tight that he couldn't move. "It's okay."

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"It's fine."

"What kind of deal?"

"The ring can't be transferred to anyone else."

"So I can't pass it down?"

"No, it's just for you." At that, she placed the ring in the palm of his hand, cupped both of hers around his, and started to chant.

The words flowed over him. Through him. Through her. It was strange, but he felt as though the spell was doing more than protecting him from supernatural death. He sensed it was binding them together.

Wind rustled the rafters and swept through the cracks in the wooden planks. Her beautiful tresses billowed around her like wings. He'd seen her cast powerful spells before, but this felt different. His heart pounded his chest. If blood trickled from her nose, he'd have to stop her. Damn the ring. It wasn't worth that.

Then her voice faded to a whisper. The air settled. Her hair returned to her shoulders in sexy disarray. She looked at him with triumph glistening in her emerald eyes. Her chest rose and fell as if she was out of breath. Jeremy wanted nothing more than to kiss her senseless.

She must have read it all over his face. Faster than he could blink, she released his hand, rose from the floor and shielded herself with the grimoire to her chest.

_Okay, we'll play your way_, he silently conceded. _This time_.

"Go ahead." She jutted her chin toward his palm. "Put it on."

Jeremy held the ring to the light. Unbelievable. The little minx! How did she get his class ring? It was one of the many things she'd returned when they broke up. He couldn't imagine her sneaking over to his room to lift it. He knew he hadn't taken it with him to Denver.

"It had to be something that was all yours."

"Yeah," he said, mostly to himself. He slid it on and stood. As he looked down at her, he couldn't resist asking, "How did you get it?"

"I bet you'd love to know."

"I would."

Bonnie shrugged. "I have my ways."

No doubt she did and she wasn't telling either. She snapped her fingers and one by one, the candles went out as they walked past them out of the house. Once outside, they fell into step together. The feeling of rightness settled in nicely, but Jeremy wasn't foolish enough to take it for granted. They still needed to talk. He didn't want their status to remain as buddies. He wanted more. In order to have that, he owed her an explanation.

"Wait," he said, sliding his hand around her swinging arm. "Slow down."

"I have to meet Caroline—"

"She can wait," he said more forcefully than he intended.

"I don't want to do this."

"You didn't want to the last time," he answered as he allowed her to extricate herself from his grasp. "That was a mistake."

"No, the mistake was how you kissed your former girlfriend behind my back," she said, all the lightness from before completely void from her. "Make that _dead_ former girlfriend. There is absolutely nothing to talk about!"

"I fucked up."

"Yes and I've moved on—"

"Bullshit," he cut in. "That's bullshit and you know it."

"What I know is you lied to me. You cheated on me. And you hurt me."

She turned and stormed away from him. He matched her pace easily.

"Yes, I did all those things. I was a dick and I hate myself for hurting you. I never thought I'd be that guy."

"So why were you?" She stopped suddenly. "All you had to do was tell me. Just tell me face to face what was going on. Instead I had to hear about it from Caroline. _Caroline!_ Damn, Jeremy!"

Tears pooled in her eyes. She broke into a run. Her grimoire fell from her grasp and she didn't bother to pick it up. Instead she kept going. Jeremy raced after her. They reached her car. She tried to get in, but he blocked her from opening the door. With her back to him, he stepped in close, wrapping his arms around her. Every tear a waterfall, her sobs became his.

"You may never forgive me for hurting you, but I promise you I won't do it again. It's just that when Anna died it happened so suddenly. But just as suddenly, she was back. I had lost so many people, you know. And there she was again. I didn't know what to do. I didn't think it would escalate like that. She kept coming back and it kept becoming less fantasy and more real.

"Yes, I should have told you. Every time I didn't tell you I was lying and I am so sorry. If I could take it back, I would. If I could take back all those times, I spent with her instead of you, I would. I would trade them in a heartbeat."

"When I found out, I felt so worthless," she sobbed. "Like I couldn't even compare to a fucking ghost!"

He buried his face in her hair, rubbing his nose against her neck and shoulder. Wishing he could absorb her pain. "I know. I'm so sorry for that."

"You have no idea… It was like losing my mom all over again. It was like I'll never be good enough," she said. "N-Never."

"Oh, Bonnie." He turned her around and cupped her face. "That's a lie. An outright fucking lie. I was wrong to make you feel that way."

"Tell me the truth."

"Always," he promised.

She wiped the tears from her face. Her eyes stared hard at him as if she was trying to memorize him and this moment. If he didn't know any better, he'd think a spell was being formed, the look in her eyes were so intense. Then she shook her head and looked down. "Nevermind."

"No, ask me," he said. "You can ask me anything."

"I don't want to know," she murmured so softly that he had to strain to hear her.

What question would make her turn inward? She had to know he was an open book. After the pain he put her through, he'd do anything for her. Anything at all. As she continued to look down, he thought maybe he had a good idea what she was afraid to ask. After everything, he understood why.

"I didn't know how much I love you until I lost you," he said. "I thought it was Anna, but I was wrong. It took losing you to realize that."

He didn't wait for a response. She needed to process that he had loved her and that he still did. Holding onto her now would only mess that up. So he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and released her. The grimoire was several yards behind them. He took off after it.

The book was new like he'd first thought. As he walked back to her and their cars, he flipped through it. There were only a few spells recorded on the pages. All in Bonnie's handwriting. This was Bonnie's Grimoire. Her legacy. It didn't make him a punk if a tingle went through him at the thought.

When he reached the cars, she was already sitting inside hers. Her phone was in her hand. She was in the middle of a text.

"Damon is summoning me," she said.

"Fuck him."

Her brow formed a frown. "Jer…"

"I'm serious," he said. "You don't have to go just because he wants you to do a spell."

"It's more than that," she said. "Elijah's back."

"So?" The whole idea of Bonnie dropping everything because of text from Damon pissed Jeremy off. He was sick of their world spinning off its axis because of outside forces. They had business to tend to. Right here. Right now.

"I can't…" She sighed. "I can't fight with you about this. Hand it over, please."

He hadn't realized he still had her grimoire. "This is amazing." He passed it through the open window.

"Thanks."

She pressed the starter button. The Prius instantly purred to life. Jeremy didn't step back. Instead, he released a loud grunt.

"Can I get a ride?"

"Your car is over there."

"Yeah, it sure is."

Her hesitation only lasted seconds, but they were the longest seconds of Jeremy's life.

"Fine, get in."

It didn't make him a punk-ass if the tiny grin on her face brought the butterflies back to his gut. He was still all man.

(Song Credit: "Paradise" by Coldplay)

**[A/N: Thanks for responding to my dilemma! As you can see, I decided to skip the Alaric/Bonnie-buffet-thing and go in a different direction. I can't say I'm 100% where it's headed, but I can say that Jeremy and Bonnie won't stop talking to me. If you write fic, you know how awesome that is! Anyway, thank you again for reading, alerting, favoriting, and reviewing. Your comments are fantastically energizing! I am thrilled that you're digging this tale as much as I am (even if it means my hands are starting to hurt) lol. So don't be shy! If you're reading **_**Everlasting**_**, I'm a third of the way through the next chapter, but **_**Absolution**_** became demanding and I couldn't resist.]**


	4. Chapter 4

**The characters are the property of LJ Smith and The Vampire Diaries/CW© and do not belong to me unless stated otherwise. **

Chapter 4: Bend Without the World Caving In

"So you pulled a crossbow on Esther…"

Bonnie knew she was repeating herself, but she couldn't get the visual of Jeremy wielding the weapon out of her head. Nor the sight of him looking fierce and hot in his 20s button-down striped white shirt and black suspenders while wielding said crossbow. Holding the sigh in took a lot willpower and determination, but she managed to do it.

A quick glance from the corner of her eye detected a smug grin and puffed chest that stretched his snug gray tee to impossible limits. Yep, he knew she was impressed and he had a good idea why. When he chuckled softly, she allowed a faint smile to cross her lips. She couldn't make it that easy for him.

"Yeah, I still have it if you want to see it," he offered, all generous with his seduction techniques.

She shook her head. The conversation had become easy and pleasant since the gut wrenching talk they had left behind in the woods. She knew Jeremy well enough to know he was intentionally keeping things light. It took some effort, but he gave it his all. As her little Prius neared Wickery Bridge, bringing them closer to the boardinghouse, the earlier apprehension returned.

As if guided by unseen forces, Bonnie swerved the car to the right. She kept it moving until they were hidden by a clump of trees. Once there, she parked, cut the engine, and released the air she'd been holding.

"You okay?" Jeremy unbuckled his seatbelt and shifted on the seat to look at her.

"Yeah."

"So what was that?"

She toyed with the charms hanging from her keychain as she searched for the right words. "I've been thinking about what you said."

"Oh, yeah?" His voice sounded hesitant, as if he wasn't sure which way this was headed.

"Dropping everything because Elijah's back," she said. "I think you said and I quote, 'Fuck him.'"

"Actually that was about Damon," he said, "but the same goes for Elijah. I'm sick of this Originals bullshit. It would be nice to have a day without vampires, you know. Just one day."

Bonnie's chest constricted. "Does that go for all supernaturals?"

"You know I wasn't referring to you." He trailed a finger along her cheek. "I said vampires. I meant vampires. Okay, maybe you can throw in some hybrids, too."

When he smiled, she returned the gesture. It amazed her how easy everything felt with him. Being a witch. Being a girl. When those chocolate brown eyes fixed her with an intense stare, her entire self went on alert with sensations that warred with how she felt while casting spells. Nothing put her as on edge as being in his presence and nothing made her as comforted. How did he do that? How was it possible that her best friend's little brother had become so much more?

"What are you thinking?" His tone had grown deep and husky as his fingertip reached the corner of her mouth.

"I want the same thing."

His eyebrows lifted. "You do?"

"Yeah, a day without—"

Before the rest of the words could take hold and form, Jeremy swooped in, claiming her with his warm, pliable lips. Insistent swipes of his tongue sent her spiraling into submission. A low moan tickled the back of her throat as the kiss deepened.

It had been too long since she tasted the deliciousness of his mouth. Succumbed to the hungry rush of his tongue on hers. He slid his hand to the back of her head. The pads of his fingers massaged her scalp in the way she liked. Everything came over her at once. Her desire for him and her need to take things slow. She clutched his upper arms and forced herself to pull away. The kiss broke with both of them breathless and panting.

"Jeremy…"

"I won't apologize," he said. He placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth and repositioned himself in the passenger seat. "Not for that either."

"All this," she said, waving her hands as she continued to catch her breath, "makes everything confusing-"

"What's confusing?" he asked. "I'm not confused. I haven't been playing you, Bonnie. I want us back together. I'm not ready to give up on that."

Okay, maybe she was the one confused. But was she really? She hadn't stopped loving him. Even when he cheated with Anna, it burned, but it hadn't diminished her feelings. There were many times when she wished she could be like a vampire and turn off the switch for him. Just flip it and move on. But Jeremy had been right when he'd called her on it. It was bullshit. She hadn't moved on. She still wanted him.

"Well?"

"Stop," she snapped. "I can't just forget."

"I don't expect you to."

Bonnie covered her face with her hands and breathed. When she heard about Elena and Damon's road trip to Colorado, she never expected this. He wasn't supposed to come back. And he wasn't supposed to still want her. Facing her own torment of wanting him and knowing that Klaus used it against her was bad enough, but to face Jeremy now and know that he still wanted her? She never wanted to be that girl who let a guy cheat on her. Berating those girls had always been so easy. With the shoe on the other foot, she felt like a fool.

"I know I have to prove myself," he said as the silence lengthened. "I can do that. I want to. You deserve that."

She pulled her hands from her face and rested them on her lap. "Oh, Jeremy…stop."

"No." He rested his hand on the console, just inches from her thigh. "Bonnie, knowing I hurt you… I can't make that up with words."

"I don't know what to tell you," she said. "There's so much happening all the time… Something is always spiraling. Someone is always on the brink. And here we are…"

"Here we are." He took her hand. When she didn't pull away, he placed his other hand on top. "We can't always control what happens out there. You and me…this isn't about what's going on out there. This is about us."

She remembered the very first time he made his case for them. He had risked his life with Katherine to prevent her from risking hers by casting a spell. Knowing he had done that for her had blown her away. Who was this guy? He looked like her friend's kid brother, but he certainly wasn't acting like it. And he had made her feel things she had pretended to store away. Luka had provided a connection to witchcraft and her ancestors, but the thing that had grown between her and Jeremy had formed a connection with her heart.

Bonnie looked down at their joined hands and then up into his searching gaze. There was so much honesty reflected in those brown eyes. He'd matured so much over the last few years. They all had. He wasn't making a boy's promise to a girl he had a thing for. _Check here if you like me. Yes. No. Maybe_. With doodles of hearts and flowers on the side. This went deeper.

Was _she_ ready to take that plunge?

BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ

Jeremy watched the questions play across Bonnie's face and tried to piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle. But there were too many pieces. So much had happened between them and during their separation. She had changed, hardened. She wasn't the same person he'd fallen in love with. She'd evolved into someone even more magical, stronger, and amazing. Beautiful.

He wished that Elena didn't have the overpowering need to micromanage his life. Obviously, she hadn't learned a damn thing about maintaining the trust in their relationship otherwise she wouldn't have had her lapdog Damon compel him again. If Jeremy hadn't been away in Denver, he could have been here for Bonnie when her mom returned. Maybe he could have prevented the outcome of her being turned. _Maybe_. But if not, at least he would have been there when Bonnie needed him.

And maybe they would have worked through his betrayal of their relationship by now.

He wanted her to want them. To want them as much as he did. She wasn't open about her feelings. She never had been. So he wasn't expecting her to dive back in with open arms. But he was hoping she knew he meant every word he said.

"You don't have to answer now," he said softly. "Just remember that every time you're running off to save the world, to set aside a little for yourself."

She released a faint laugh. "Did you just make that up? Or did you get that from a fortune cookie?"

"A little of both," he said with a grin, happy to make her laugh again.

With a gentle, but firm tug, she pulled her hand free of his. The separation felt odd. He had enjoyed touching her. She was soft and warm. Energy flowed through her at a higher rate. Even when he couldn't always read the expressions on her face, a casual caress always provided the necessary back up to clue him in on her emotions. He wanted to have the right to touch her again. But that wouldn't happen until she trusted him.

Just then her phone buzzed. He angled his head to glance down where it rested in the cup holder. The display screen read vampire dick and Jeremy just barely resisted the urge to curse.

"He'll only keep calling until I answer or show up," Bonnie said.

The resignation in her voice irked Jeremy. He wondered if she knew how tired of all this she was. Sure, her powers were fucking amazing, but having to use them for this? Witches were about nature and growth and nurture. She shouldn't have to tap into her powers on the reg to battle against the undead. He had read enough of his ancestor's journals and her families' grimoires to know that this would eventually take its toll on her.

She glanced at him before she grabbed the phone and answered. "Damon."

The vampire's sarcastic bullshit was hard to miss with his raised voice sounding loudly from the phone. Jeremy was impressed with how Bonnie snapped back with a couple of zingers of her own. Overall, Damon's rant didn't get to her. Once he calmed down, she listened. Her gaze wavered between Jeremy and the surrounding woods. When the call ended, she started the engine and drove them back to the road.

"Are you sure you want to go?" she asked.

"Are you?"

"Yeah."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

They covered a little bit of distance in silence. At Wickery Bridge, Jeremy asked, "Did something new happen?"

"Elijah's here."

"That's not new. I mean it is, but that's why Damon called in the first place."

"The first call was a warning. The second was to let us know that Elijah is at the boardinghouse. He wants to see me."

Jeremy's chest tightened. "Why?"

"He won't tell them. He'll only tell me."

"Sounds like a trap." Jeremy closed his hand around Bonnie's that rested on the steering wheel. "You can't just go in there."

"Elena trusts him—"

"My sister doesn't always have the best judgment," Jeremy cut in. "Besides, isn't he the reason your mo—"

"There are a lot of reasons Abby isn't here," Bonnie said, her tone low and even. "Elijah's just a small part."

Jeremy released the steering wheel and sat back against the passenger seat. His hands flexed into fists. He wanted desperately to lash out at something. Namely any one of the vampires that were causing the women in his life turmoil. But what could _he_ do? Maybe letting Alaric die had been a bad call. If Esther created him to kill her offspring, maybe letting Alaric transition would have been the best idea after all.

"You're too quiet," she commented. "I don't like it. Say something."

"Something."

She flashed him the side-eye and he grinned. Another faint smile curved her lips. If the road didn't require her full attention, he'd take his chances with another kiss. As if reading his mind, she returned her gaze to the road. He didn't miss how her hands tightened on the steering wheel.

Far sooner than he wanted, the Salvatore boardinghouse loomed before them. She parked behind an obscenely expensive ride that more than likely belonged to Elijah. When she moved to open the door, he caught her wrist.

"Bonnie, wait."

"I can't," she said in a harsh whisper. "You know what's at stake."

"One second," Jeremy pleaded.

Her surrender came with a shrug. With a swift move, he cupped the back of her head and leaned close to her ear. His voice lowered to a whisper just in case vampires were lurking around.

"Can you do a protection spell? Anything that will keep you safe?"

Nodding, she began to pull away from him. Jeremy threaded his fingers in her hair. He wasn't ready to let go.

"Jer…" she half moaned.

He was just a breath away from tasting her again when the driver's door wrenched open. A loud, disapproving grunt followed. They pulled apart simultaneously to find Stefan peering down at them.

"Elijah has a plan," the younger Salvatore vampire stated as he waited for Bonnie to exit the car.

Jeremy quickly joined them as they headed toward the boardinghouse entrance. He hoped Bonnie had time to cast her spell. Stefan's sudden arrival threw Jeremy off and the unreadable expression in the vampire's eyes put him on edge.

The boardinghouse was the same as Jeremy remembered. Gothic, mausoleum weirdness. In a strange way, it worked for the brothers. When they reached the main room, he resisted the urge to follow Bonnie. Instead, he positioned himself opposite her. From his stance, he was close enough to reach her if necessary, but far enough away to watch the other players. For the second time that day, he wished he'd brought his crossbow with him.

As usual, his sister found her comfort between both Damon and Stefan. Caroline sat while Tyler hovered nearby. Elijah took his time at the bar, pouring himself a liberal tumbler of bourbon. Jeremy was a little surprised that Matt was absent, but he didn't blame his friend. After the near death by crossbow due to Esther's witchcraft, he didn't blame his friend for keeping a low profile.

"Hello, Bonnie."

"Elijah."

The Original's mouth quirked at her single-word greeting and Jeremy's stomach clenched. Whatever the plan, he knew he wouldn't like it. Nothing short of getting both Elena and Bonnie out of here would be good enough for him. All this waiting for Klaus to pounce was only asking for trouble.

"Well, I'm here," Bonnie said, matching Elijah's stare. "What do you want?"

"I want you," he said.

Bonnie shot a quick glance at Jeremy that screamed for him not to say one word. He thrust his hands into his pockets and waited her out. With every second that passed, he hated every moment of this. His futility to do anything.

When she didn't respond, Elijah continued, "I suppose that was rather vague of me… All of us want the same things. To stabilize Klaus. Am I correct?"

"This isn't a quiz," Damon snapped. "What do you watch the witch to do?"

"Damon!" Jeremy said through gritted teeth.

"What?" Damon asked, looking genuinely perplexed.

_Asshole_, Jeremy thought, but decided to keep the diagnosis to himself. Instead, he said, "Of course, you want her to do a spell, but why should we trust you? The last time we did it got us where we are now."

"I am a man of my word."

"Unless it suits your purpose to change your mind," Stefan said. "I'm with Jeremy. Why should we trust you?"

"Bonnie could have died because of you," Jeremy said, becoming more fired up. "How do we know you're not working with Klaus now?"

"You are all justified in your mistrust of my intentions," Elijah said. "I have given you just cause, but I assure you this time I am—"

"Enough already," Bonnie cut in. "What do you want from me?"

"A spell, like the others have already surmised," Elijah admitted. "Killing my brother is not an option I can condone, but containing him…rendering him helpless so that his madness is not a threat… I have heard of a binding spell that can do that."

"Like what Esther tried?" Elena asked. "How dangerous is it?"

Elijah shrugged. "There is danger in every spell on some level. Is it not, Bonnie?"

She glanced at Jeremy again before she directed her attention to Elijah. "I'll need more information."

"I have everything you need." He extended his hand toward her.

Bonnie hesitated.

"Wait," Jeremy said, moving to her side. "Think about this. There has to be another way."

"There isn't," she said. "We've already tried everything and nothing has worked."

He frowned. "But…"

"I've heard that he is preparing to move. He will not leave here without Elena. Delay will only give him the advantage," Elijah said. "If you have decided to trust me, come with me now."

"Bonnie, you don't have to do this," Elena said.

"Maybe there's another way," Tyler said.

"Yeah," Caroline added. "We can think of something…"

"If it will keep Elena safe," Damon said, "the choice is Bonnie's."

"Bonnie's safety matters, too," Jeremy said.

"Some brother you are," Damon muttered.

"Stop it!" Elena left her perch between the two Salvatores and went to her best friend. "I can't ask you to do this."

"I'm not doing this just for you," Bonnie said. She then looked at Elijah and nodded. "Let's go."

"I'm coming with you," Jeremy said.

"Jer, no!" Elena tried to stop him, but Damon grabbed her.

"I'll go with them," Stefan said.

"Fine," Elijah replied, seeming mildly amused by the turn of events. "Let's go."

(Song credit: "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz)

**[A/N: The last two episodes of the season provided both inspiration and disappointment. It's funny how well TVD can do both. Elijah's spell may be similar to what happened on the show. I'm not sure, yet. As far as characters go, he's more a smirker than a talker. Unlike Jeremy who won't let me sleep! What are your thoughts on Stefan? Is he cockblocking or just looking out? I thank you all again so very much for reading, reviewing, faving and alerting. Your continued interest is !]**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"This is bullshit—"

"Jeremy, stop."

"What are they doing?" he asked. "Where did they go? How do we know this isn't a trick?"

Upon their arrival at Elijah's expansive hideaway, the two vampires took off, leaving Jeremy and Bonnie alone in a den fully equipped with the latest in entertainment. It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, how amazed Jeremy would have been by the gaming systems and huge screen. The kid who spent most of his time split between his x-box and his sketchpad didn't exist anymore. Unfortunately, Jeremy didn't have time to miss him.

"We don't," Bonnie said. She pulled her grimoire from her bag and sat in the middle of the leather sofa. With a quick nod to the empty space beside her, she extended an invitation. "Come. You'll only wear yourself out."

He hated to admit she was right. After all, he couldn't protect her if he was too worked up to pay attention. The move onto the sofa beside her was smooth and left less than an inch of space between them. He came close to closing the gap, but he didn't want to press his luck. Besides, making a move on her now screamed of bad timing. Jeremy had other things on his mind.

"How can you be so calm?"

She looked at him and shrugged. "Anything else is wasted energy."

"That's too Zen for me, Bonnie," he mumbled.

Her gentle laughter made him smile. The soft hand she placed on his thigh made the smile falter. Kissing her had felt right, perfect even. They shouldn't be waiting around in Elijah's den or even searching for a plan to neutralize Klaus. He and Bonnie _should_ be alone together, but not here. Not like this.

A frustrated sigh interrupted his thoughts. When just moments before laughter had brought warmth to Bonnie's features, now that had been replaced by a dark scowl.

"What?" he asked. The move to face to her closed the gap between them. Ignoring the possibility of rejection, he took her hand. "Bonnie?"

"This is _my_ grimoire."

"So?"

"So," she repeated, bitterly, "it's not as comprehensive as Emily's or even Gram's. We should have stopped at my place first."

"You have a lot of spells in there."

"Not enough," she argued. "Mostly tame stuff—"

"Tame?" He cocked an eyebrow in disbelief as he held up his right hand. "Just today you spelled this ring to save me from supernatural death. Are you telling me it won't work? That your spell is tame and that you were just kidding around before?"

"Of course not, Jeremy."

"Well."

Her response was a glare.

He bit back the urge to tease her. "Look, you don't have to do this. We can go."

"I'm not scared."

"I didn't say that," he countered. "I know you're not afraid. Sometimes I wish you were."

"Jeremy… I know it's hard to understand…"

"Because I'm not supernatural?" he asked. The question came out more forcefully than he intended. When he started to release her hand, she held on tighter. "Don't pity me."

"I don't," she said, "and don't resent what I can do. I didn't ask for these powers or this ability, but I have them. I can't _not_ use them and watch the people I love die."

He looked down at their joined hands. Even though his hand was bigger, hers contained power that he couldn't begin to fathom. It didn't make him want to protect her any less. He certainly couldn't imagine loving her less than he did or more if that was possible.

"I don't resent it, Bonnie," he answered. "It's a part of who you are. It's just that—"

She suddenly released his hand and moved away from him. The stricken look on her face sent a chill down his back.

"Bonnie?" He moved toward her.

"No!" She held up her hands as if to block him. "You shouldn't have come. _Dammit_, Jeremy!"

She ran from the room. When he followed her to the hallway, it was empty.

BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ

Bonnie wasn't prepared for the vision that revealed a lifeless Jeremy at her feet. Her instant shock made the image vanish before she could grasp a sense of time or place. Having an emotional connection to him—no, she thought. That was not a bad thing. He was doing his best to make things right between them, and selfish or not, she relished the comfort his presence gave her.

But protecting him was second nature. As soon as she stepped into the hallway, she cast a spell to alter his vision. Just long enough for her to gather her bearings. Of course, he had a right to know that his future wasn't looking good, but until she knew more… Bonnie drew in a deep breath. She was no good if her emotions were out of control.

Calm. Focused.

She needed both. As her breathing returned to normal, she leaned against the wall and watched him return to the den. Like a caged panther, he stalked the length of the room. Then he sat and grabbed her grimoire. Frustration darkened his aura, yet somehow he managed to contain himself. Maybe Denver had been good for him after all.

"Bonnie…hey."

So fixated on Jeremy, she hadn't sensed Stefan's approach. She pushed away from the wall and turned to face him. "Stefan. Are you and Elijah ready to include us is in the details?"

"It wasn't like that," he said. "Well, not like you think."

She frowned. "You have no idea what I think."

"That's true."

Bonnie wanted nothing more than to go back to Jeremy, but the look on Stefan's face made her hesitate. He wanted something from her. It wasn't the first time. Hell, how many times had he come to her with a request or a plea for her assistance? Every time she gave in because he was different. _He was the good one_. She wanted to curse her naïveté, but that would solve nothing. Besides, at the time, it didn't feel like she was being used and deep down, she didn't believe that was Stefan's intent.

Oh, hell, she didn't know what to believe now. Too much had happened.

"There's something…" he started and stopped so suddenly that she wasn't sure he had spoken. Then he gently took her hand. "I'm sorry about Abby. The words are weak and powerless and can't change anything. But the words are true."

"I don't…" She swallowed hard. "It doesn't matter now. Right? What's done is done. Besides, she's gone. Again. That's what she does. She leaves—"

"Sometimes, she comes back."

Elijah's cultured tones came from the end of the hall. Despite the distance, Bonnie instantly recognized the dark-haired woman on his arm. She tugged her hand free of Stefan's grasp as she widened her stance to stare down her mother.

"Abby."

"Hi, Bonnie," her mother said. "I'm back."

**[Author's Note: Yes, this is a short one. Sorry. :-/ The chapter needed to end there as set up for what's ahead with Bonnie's visions, Elijah's plan, Stefan's intentions, and of course, Jeremy's goal to reunite with his beloved Bonnie. Feedback is a wonderful thing and I enjoy hearing from you.**

**I hope for less time between chapters. Working full-time and being in grad school will make this endeavor VERY interesting! Wish me luck. :-)]**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Some things you can't see until it gets too late

Jeremy discovered nothing but the potential for greatness in Bonnie's grimoire. Her notations about what worked and didn't work with the spells were ingenious. He ignored the irritation that flared at missing this stage of her development by being shipped off to Denver. But in all honesty after risking everything with Anna, would he really have been allowed to be around when Bonnie decided to trust herself to make this move?

A heavy sigh heaved from his chest. Away at Denver, he didn't think about how he'd blown things with Bonnie for some stupid fantasy with Anna. He supposed it was the byproduct of being compelled. At some point, he'd have to get to bottom of that and Elena's duplicity. Now that things seemed headed back on the right track with Bonnie, he decided to dig deep and really question his actions. At least for the few minutes, he'd give her some space. If she thought for one second, he'd let her run out after obviously having a vision she had another thing coming.

As he looked at the images she'd drawn in the margins that went along with the instructions for her spells, he thought back to Vicky and Anna's return to his life. He'd loved both girls, but neither had been any good for him. In the long run, neither had the potential for anything lasting or real. Not like what he had shared with Bonnie. He'd known that even before they were really a couple. Hell, that was why he'd risked his life with Katherine to get the moonstone. He could not allow Bonnie to endanger herself. He just couldn't do it.

Everything had been good between them. A little shaky with him wanting to protect her and she being determined to protect everybody else. Otherwise, they had something right. Bonnie wore responsibility like a shield of armor, but there were times he'd been able to get past that barrier. She had trusted him in a way she hadn't trusted anyone else. Until Anna's ghost appeared. If he didn't know any better, he'd wonder if he had been compelled.

"Punk move, Gilbert," he muttered under his breath as he slid the grimoire back inside Bonnie's bag. Compulsion would have been an easy explanation for cheating, but that wasn't it.

He was the asshole. He was the one who ruined things and broke Bonnie's heart.

Still, he couldn't shake that there was more to it. A ghost versus a real, live beautiful girl who'd never once used or hurt him? No, maybe compulsion wasn't the answer. Jeremy knew there had to be something more to it.

Muffled voices came from the hallway. It was about time! Annoyance burned at the sight of Stefan standing too close to Bonnie. A pretty black woman stood with Elijah. Jeremy couldn't tell if she leaned on Elijah for support or if the ancient vampire had her in an iron grip. Either way, none of that mattered when everyone's attention zeroed in on him.

Everything seemed to happen at once. The woman came toward him. Before Jeremy could say a word, Bonnie blocked his path and did that thing that made Damon fall to his knees.

"Bonnie?" he began.

She closed her hand around his wrist. If he had wanted to break free, he wouldn't have been able to.

"Just be still," Bonnie said.

The woman fell to her knees in pain. A deafening screech pierced his eardrums as her eyes pleaded with Bonnie to stop. Finally, the woman lay in a quivering mass, curling into a fetal position. Her low moans made Jeremy's gut clench.

"This is what you brought me here for?" Bonnie asked, her tone quiet with barely concealed rage. "What is this shit, Elijah? We're leaving."

"You're making assumptions, Bonnie," Elijah said. "You're too smart for that."

"Who is she?" Jeremy asked, mystified by Bonnie's anger and her still unbelievably tight grip.

"Bonnie, please," the woman whispered. "I'm sorry. "I-I'm trying. I don't want to hurt your friend."

"I won't let you hurt him."

The woman moved as if to stand. She didn't make it to her feet. A sharp cry came from her and she doubled over in pain again.

Stefan touched Bonnie's arm. "Bonnie, stop it. She means it. Elijah has been working with her. It was just a slip. He's okay."

"Who is she?" Jeremy persisted.

Silence answered him. He stared at the woman's face and finally understood. Bonnie's spell worked on vampires. The woman was beautiful and her features were familiar. Her face…he'd seen her face before, but it was younger. She was in his mother's photo albums. She was his mother's best friend. She was Bonnie's mother.

"Abby."

She gave him a tight smile. "You were just a little boy, a baby really, the last time I saw you. You liked to knock things down."

"Don't," Bonnie bit out. "Just stop."

"Your mother knows a spell that can help us," Elijah said. "She's here to help, Bonnie."

"My mother?"

Jeremy had never heard that depth of bitterness from her before. He placed his free hand at her waist and gently squeezed. "We don't have to stay. You don't owe Elena this."

"Jeremy—"

"What?" he asked, cutting off Stefan. "I love my sister, but she's not the only person involved. Bonnie has—"

"I can speak for myself," she said quietly. "What spell, Abby?"

The young vampire rose to her feet. Jeremy watched as years of disappointment and regret flickered across Abby's face. Bonnie's hold on him loosened, but she didn't let go. Normally, he would have been pissed at her fierce determination to protect him, but after everything they'd be through, he couldn't find it in him. And he liked the touch of her small hand on him. Her soft skin melted against his rougher flesh so perfectly. No way he'd give that sensation up.

"Abby?" Bonnie repeated.

Jeremy almost stumbled as Bonnie stepped back into him.

"The one I originally used on his father," Abby said as she nodded toward Elijah. "I'm unable to do it now for obvious reasons, but you can. I can walk you through it."

BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ

Bonnie loosened her hold on Jeremy's wrist just to slip her hand around his. He accepted the switch in silence as she had known he would. How he'd managed to be so still during the rest surprised her. Was it only a few months ago he'd been so eager to face Katherine in her place? Abby's sudden rush toward him sickened Bonnie more than she wanted to admit to herself. Witches weren't supposed to lust for blood. They were called to keep it from being spilled. Seeing her mother—and that's who Abby was whether Bonnie liked it or not—lunge for Jeremy's throat reminded Bonnie of everything she'd already lost in this war to protect her best friend's soul.

"Bonnie?"

"I heard you," she answered her mother. She nodded her chin toward the entertainment room where she and Jeremy had been ordered to wait.

Abby glanced at Elijah who took her arm and led her inside. Stefan followed. Bonnie and Jeremy claimed the rear. One glance into a pair of chocolate brown eyes informed her that Jeremy wasn't nearly as agreeable as she wanted to believe. If they had telepathy, she'd tell him that everything was under control. She didn't trust Elijah any more than he did. In the past, Stefan's presence would have comforted her, but after her mother was turned, she no longer trusted him either. But Abby… Maybe once in her life, Abby wouldn't let Bonnie down.

Yeah, right.

In the room, no one sat. Abby and Elijah claimed one side while Bonnie and Jeremy took possession of another. Stefan appeared impartial in the middle.

"The spell," Bonnie said. They'd wasted enough games. The sooner Klaus was neutralized, the sooner they could all get on with the business of living. Bonnie was sick of everything tottering on the brink. She craved stability. She needed her vision to be wrong. She wanted Jeremy to kiss her again and not worry if it would be the last.

"It's a desiccation spell," Abby explained, perching on the arm of a leather armchair. "I performed it on Elijah's father years ago."

"I know." Bonnie strode to the sofa and pulled her grimoire from her bag. She sat, facing her mother. "What is it?"

"I can help you do this."

Bonnie shook her head. "No. Just tell me."

Abby sighed. Bonnie watched, hoping her expression remained impassive, as her mother gave Elijah an imploring look. What was going on there? Did the Original have a hold over her or was there something more? God forbid, were they a couple?

Bile rushed to her throat. She swallowed to push it back down, but that only led to an embarrassing coughing fit. His hand rubbed smoothing circles around her back. His breath warmed her cheek as he spoke quietly. "Are you okay?"

Stefan pushed a glass of water into her hand. "Drink."

The vampire's forceful tone warned against arguing. Bonnie swallowed in one gulp. All the while, she was aware of Abby and Elijah. Their closeness. It unnerved her. Sickened her. How could Abby trust him? When she left, was it Elijah she ran to?

Stefan took the empty glass and returned with a refill. Bonnie declined. "I'm okay."

"I'm sorry," Abby said.

"What for?" Bonnie asked, bitterness creeping in. "This time?"

"Being a disappointment."

Jeremy's hand settled at Bonnie's waist and he gave her gentle squeeze. "Let's just get on with it," he said. "What do we need?"

Abby stared at Bonnie. "We need to talk alone."

"No," Jeremy cut in before Bonnie could respond. Tenderness gave way to savagery as his fingers dug into her, pulling her close to his side. "No, Bonnie."

She pried loose of his hold and stood. "It's okay." To Abby, she said, "Let's go."

The mother and daughter headed deep into the surrounding woods. Behind her, Bonnie imagined a fuming Jeremy, a mildly amused Elijah, and a brooding Stefan. Inside, she bristled with untried emotions. For so many years, she'd longed for this woman to return. Grams tried, but Bonnie's loss of her mother cut deep. And then when they finally met face to face again and Abby's inability to recognize her instantly… That cut deepest of all until Abby ran away again this last time.

"We're far enough," Bonnie said. "I doubt if they can hear us from here."

Abby glanced over her shoulder to the sprawling estate a couple of miles in the distance. "You're right. I can't hear Jeremy's heartbeat anymore."

"Shit," Bonnie murmured under her breath.

"I don't like this any more than you do," Abby said.

Bonnie shrugged. Telling her how much she hated that her mother was a vampire seemed hypocritical when it was the only thing that kept her mobile on the planet. If she wasn't a bloodsucker, they couldn't have this conversation—as torturous as it was. Yeah, it was pure hell, but the alternative was far worse. She'd lived the alternative when Grams wouldn't wake up. She did not want to lose anyone else.

"We're here—"

"One more thing."

Bonnie waited. _God, what else? _Please no heart-to-heart, mother-daughter bonding shit. She couldn't. Not right now.

"Thank you for stopping me," Abby said. "I haven't been around humans in awhile. I didn't know he was coming so I wasn't prepared—"

"About the spell."

Abby blinked. "Okay, fine. The spell. It comes from within."

"I'm listening."

"I don't think you understand," Abby said with a slight frown. "You have a wall up and I get that. Hell, I laid the bricks for it. But I hope you hear me and know that I've been where you are now. I was older and—"

"Stop."

"No," Abby said, "you stop. Kill the attitude and the self-righteousness. I was a shitty mother who abandoned you. I own that. I can't take it back and I can't change it, but even though I haven't been around, I see what's been happening. I see it because I lived it until I left. The only thing I regret about leaving is that I didn't take you with me. I thought with Mikael gone so was the threat. I thought Mama would protect you from all this madness. Leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life."

"Are you done?"

Abby gave her a sad smile. "One day you'll understand. I hope it's before your daughter is the one at a vampire's beck and call."

"I'm not at their beck and call."

"Aren't you?"

Bonnie sighed. "The spell, Abby. Just tell me what to do."

"Its strength doesn't come from nature… It comes from the parts inside yourself that you don't even acknowledge. You'll have to go there and then you'll need to use a human's heart to stop Klaus'," Abby said. "Are you willing to do that?"

In the moment, everything seemed to go still. Her vision of a lifeless Jeremy flashed before her eyes again. The feeling that darkness would creep in if they reunited came over her, but she knew it was already too late to ward it off. She hadn't stopped loving him. Obviously, he returned the affection.

The times he snuck out of her bedroom window to avoid her dad seemed so tame in comparison to this. She wanted to go back to that. Not worrying about him dying again or being compelled. If only being late for curfew was still her biggest problem.

Abby started talking again. "You can't do this alone. You'll need help. Klaus will have to be contained. We'll have to drink your blood to bind us to you."

"We?" Bonnie shook her head. "No, you're done here. Thanks for the spell."

"No more running for me," her mother said. "I'm the only one who knows what this spell will do to you. I will not leave." She stiffened suddenly. "He's coming."

"Who?" Bonnie figured it out before Abby answered. The tiny lines around her eyes. The tension around her mouth. The effort of restraint. "Jeremy."

"He's worried about you," she said in a tone that hinted at teasing admiration. "He was always a sweet little boy."

"He's not little anymore." Bonnie left her mother and met him in the middle of the field.

They caught hands and headed back together. The kinks weren't completely worked out between them, but she couldn't deny what he offered. What she needed. The vampire—_her mother_—brought up the rear, reminding Bonnie that the darkness from her vision was upon them.

(Song inspiration: "Bright Lights" by Matchbox Twenty)

**[Author's Note: Well, that kinda went in a different direction than I imagined. So much for the characters letting me do it. I guess I should be grateful they allow me to type it. lol On a positive note, Bonnie and Jeremy is that much closer even if she's not saying it to him out loud. I'm not sure if Stefan has plans to play with that or not. I suppose they/the characters will let me/the typist know soon. **

**As always, thanks for reading, favoriting and reviewing! Comments are appreciated, so don't be shy. Until next time... :) ]**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I trust you."

_I wish you didn't_.

She didn't say the words aloud, but as Jeremy rested prone on the earthen floor, he heard them clear as day. Since returning to their group of motley warriors, Bonnie had distanced herself. Nothing overt. It was mostly under the surface. The return and conversation with her mother did not help. And the vision… If they weren't seconds from a spell that would stop his heart, he'd interrogate her like he was Jack McCoy on _Law and Order_. He wouldn't let up until she surrendered her doubts and fears and truly get that he was in it with her. He wouldn't run out on her again. Ever.

"Just lie still."

Her dark tresses billowed around her as the wind picked up. Leaves scattered round and round. Jeremy felt a rush go through him as he watched her. The concentration on her face was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. On the walk back, she had explained everything to him. How she would have to stop his heart in order to stop Klaus. How she'd have to dig into a deeper part of herself to do the unthinkable. As Abby hovered in the background, Jeremy picked up on all the things Bonnie hadn't said. The tightness around her full lips and the sadness that clouded her emerald eyes revealed more than she probably realized. He wondered if she understood the toll that all of this took on her.

A sudden frown etched her brow. Nature settled around them as she dropped her hands and met his stare. "Something's off."

"What?"

She shook head. "I don't know."

Jeremy moved into a sitting position. Behind him, he sensed Abby stepping from her hideaway behind the tree. After the near miss at Elijah's, he had become hyperaware of the vampire. He had no doubt that Bonnie would protect him against her mother, but he preferred to protect himself.

"We don't have to do this—"

"I won't let anything happen to you," Bonnie cut in.

"I know," he said. "I'm not afraid for me."

She fixed Abby with a hard look. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing." He looked from daughter to mother and back again. "What haven't you told me?"

"I need to find out what's going on." Bonnie grabbed her cell. She stormed away before Jeremy could press her further.

He stood and faced Abby. "Come closer. I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be," Abby snapped, as she moved in but not too close. "Both of you are too damn comfortable with all of this."

"What isn't she telling me?"

"The spell requires a sacrifice—"

"She has to stop my heart," Jeremy said with a shrug. "I know that."

"That's not the sacrifice I'm talking about," Abby said. Her tone softened. She watched Bonnie for a moment then she directed her attention back to Jeremy. "I lost my powers doing this spell. I lost myself…to darkness. It was just a moment, but it was…intoxicating."

"What do you mean 'to darkness'?"

"You've heard of black magic?" she asked. "Fuck, how I hate that term," she muttered under her breath.

"Yeah," he said, nodding to both comments. "What about it?"

"There's nothing good about it." Abby crossed the distance between them. Her dark eyes bored into his with the intensity of a mother protecting her young. "It grabs hold and it doesn't want to let go and you don't want it to. The darkness is powerful. It's strong and once it courses through your veins, you don't want it to stop."

"Is that why you didn't come back?"

She nodded. "And that's why I'm here now. If she does that spell, I have to be here."

"You said 'if'."

Abby looked toward Bonnie. Jeremy knew she could hear both sides of the telephone conversation. Of the new developments, he was the odd man out. His first instinct was to demand answers, but another thought sunk in to take hold.

"I can't let Bonnie do the spell."

"No," Abby said, "you can't."

BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ

Bonnie hated that she lacked the ability to do two things at once. Watching Abby chat up Jeremy worked her next to last nerve while the series of incompetence that was being relayed to her via Stefan worked the last nerve.

Everything had been set up and ready. She could feel the connection coursing through her as all participants were linked through her blood. Then duplicity gave way to all hell breaking loose.

As Stefan droned on about how Elijah staked Klaus and took him away and Damon grabbed Elena and ran, Bonnie felt a scream threaten to unleash in the back of her throat. How many times had Elijah double-crossed them? How often had Damon moaned about his love for Elena? And to think she almost stopped Jeremy's heart for this?

_For this? _

She disconnected Stefan in mid-sentence and just gave herself a moment.

At this point, none of them knew if Klaus was still a threat. But if Elena was hidden, did it matter? Could they go on? Pretend like everything was back to normal and live out senior year like nothing happened?

Was it wrong to want normal so badly that for a split second the thought of not spending senior year with Elena didn't matter as much? _Damn, who am I? _Bonnie wondered.

The sound of snapping twigs and soft footsteps pulled her from her reverie. She sighed and met the concern in Jeremy's brown eyes and the determination in her mother's.

"You have to get out of here," Abby said.

"You overheard," Bonnie said, waving the cellphone for emphasis. "Yeah, we can go home. It's over."

"Not exactly."

Jeremy stepped to Bonnie's side. "What do you mean? Elijah took Klaus. Damon will protect Elena."

"You're so young," the older woman said gently. "Nothing is ever that simple."

"And sometimes it is," Bonnie said. She couldn't bear the understanding in her mother's eyes or the sympathy in her voice. It was too damn maternal. Bonnie couldn't trust it. "Come on, Jer."

They linked hands and began the trek out of the woods. Bonnie surrendered to the firmness of his grasp. His warmth comforted her. The way his fingers tightened around hers told her that he wouldn't leave. He was on her side. Just like he had been before.

"I'm afraid this was a test."

Bonnie and Jeremy kept walking. Abby's voice followed, carrying through the trees and reaching them even as they quickened their pace.

"Elijah was testing you," Abby said. "Dammit Bonnie, you have to hear me. I wasn't sure before. I'm sure now. Please—"

Jeremy tugged on Bonnie's hand until she stopped. If he hadn't pulled, she would have kept going. She didn't want to hear this.

"If you knew—"

"I didn't," Abby cut him off, "not for sure. He's good at what he does. At manipulating."

"Testing Bonnie for what?"

"I felt something," Bonnie said quietly, "at the beginning. It was like a tug…like another witch was involved, but then it broke away. That's when the spell stopped."

"If he has another witch, why would he need Bonnie?" Jeremy asked.

Bonnie finally met her mother's stare. "Do you know?"

"No."

"If you did, would you tell me?"

"Yes."

Bonnie sighed. "I wish I could believe you."

"Believe this," Abby said, "you're not safe. Neither of you."

Jeremy squeezed Bonnie's hand. His face was ashen. "We don't have anywhere to go," he said in a tight voice.

Suddenly, Abby's eyes widened and she looked ready to pounce. In the next moment, Stefan appeared. His hands spread in a gesture of surrender.

"I want to help."

"Did you know all along?" Bonnie asked.

"No," he said. "I came out here when you and Jeremy didn't come back."

Bonnie was surprised. He'd never done that before. None of them had. She looked around at all the stoic faces. So much tension and worry. How did this go from a hunt for Elena to one for her? What if Abby was wrong?

"We can't ignore that you may be next," Stefan said. "After everything, I can't let something happen to you."

"I'm not your guilt project," Bonnie said.

"No, but I can protect you and you're going to let me."

"Us," Abby added. "You're going to let us."

"Do we have time to pack?" Jeremy asked.

"Pack?" Bonnie asked.

"My crossbow," he said with a gleam in his eyes meant just for her, "and your grimoires. It doesn't hurt to be prepared."

"No, it doesn't."

At that moment, Bonnie wished for a vision, but one didn't come. She was forced to rely on her instincts. That the young man beside her was as true as his grasp on her hand, and the two vampires would not forsake them. So her wish for normal would have to wait until another day. So be it.

[A/N: Well. I'll start with thanking everyone who is still reading this story. I appreciate it. If you're up for writing a review, I appreciate that, too. This chapter was long in coming for two reasons: 1) Jeremy Gilbert wanted a change in direction but he wouldn't tell me exactly how (men!) and 2) a sudden overnight obsession with Merlin. (Arthur and Guinevere are so hot!) Anyway, Bonnie and Jeremy will be on the run and they will have two vampire bodyguards with HUGE guilt complexes. And to let you know now, Abby is right. Elijah is definitely interested in Bonnie. The next chapter will happen much sooner. Smut, too. Thanks for reading and have a Happy Thanksgiving!]


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Time Has Redefined the Meaning of Love

The escape from Mystic Falls was swift and quiet. Vampires' superhuman speed was not a foreign concept to Bonnie. She'd never forget the time Stefan pulled her from the dark pit with a single leap. But the way, he and Abby worked together to get her and Jeremy to the secret Salvatore hideaway overlooking Times Square almost left her breathless. It felt like only a few minutes ago that she was hellbent on stopping Jeremy's heart to put an end to Klaus' tyranny. Now, here they were. Miles from home and on the run. Not Elena. But her and Jeremy. How did that happen?

She glanced around the impressive bedroom. The floors were hardwood with plush dark red throw rugs to provide contrast. A white four-poster bed matched the dresser and nightstand. A posh chaise lounge rested along the wall and she used it store her things. The décor screamed of another era but nothing like the boardinghouse back in Virginia. This place was quiet elegance. It was very much Stefan Salvatore. Although she had passed on the tour, she imagined the rest of the rooms carried his presence, too.

Behind her, the bedroom door whispered open. A distinct chill swept down her spine. She didn't have to turn her head to meet her mother's worried gaze. The more hours they spent together, the better Bonnie had become at sensing Abby. The familiarity didn't sit well with Bonnie at all.

"You haven't unpacked."

Bonnie shrugged. Why comment on the obvious?

Abby stood at the foot of the bed. "I can help."

"I'm good." Bonnie unzipped her duffel bag, took it the bed, and dumped its contents. A few grimoires tumbled out. Before she could grab them, Abby had Sheila's pressed to her chest.

"Mama's," she said softly.

Bonnie didn't trust herself to speak. Losing her Grams had hurt. It still did. Sometimes, she managed to push the pain into a place in her heart where she could store it for a time and not dwell on the hows or whys that caused her grandmother to die far too soon. Other times, the storage would burst and she couldn't hold the pain in. Right now, she could feel the constraints swelling from effort.

"Here," Abby said, handing the worn spellbook back to Bonnie. "It's not like I can use it anyway."

Bonnie had to stop herself from snatching it from her mother's grasp. With a calmness she didn't feel, she took the book and set it on the nightstand. She placed her new one on top. The others she stored back in the bag.

"I don't recognize that one," Abby said.

"It's new."

Abby sat on the bed. Her fingers were clenched together in her lap. She made a show of trying to get Bonnie to make eye contact. "Is it yours?" she asked.

Bonnie released a loud obnoxious sigh. "Yes."

"You have every right to be angry with me."

"Thank you for your permission."

Abby's eyes flashed with hurt and disapproval.

Bonnie recognized both, but given the chance she wouldn't erase the sarcasm from her tone. She hurt, too. She disapproved of her mother's choices, too.

"I was three."

The words just blurted out. Abby looked up. Her eyes widened like a deer caught in the high beams of an eighteen wheeler. Her mouth parted. No words—no excuses—came.

"How old was Jamie when you took him in?"

"Bonnie—"

"How old?"

"Seven."

Bonnie nodded. She spoke as she sorted through her belongings, separating underwear from jeans and tops. "When I was seven, I still believed you would come back if I was good enough."

"Bonnie—"

"I stopped believing when I was ten." She continued to put her clothes away. It helped her speak in a matter-of-fact tone when all she really wanted was to scream. "I didn't start feeling like I was a freak until twelve. That's when the visions started. Actually some started before then, but I wasn't sure what they were. Daddy wouldn't talk about it or you. Grams…she tried, but there's only so much you can do when you're the parent of the woman who ran out on her child. Daddy wasn't too forgiving at first."

"I'm sorry," Abby said in a rush. "I can't say it enough. I can't make up for what I did. It was wrong."

"He didn't want to talk about the magic," Bonnie continued as if Abby hadn't spoken. In truth, Bonnie had heard her, but Bonnie needed Abby to hear this. Glossing things over with apologies and excuses wasn't good enough. "He didn't want to understand that his little girl felt like a freak."

Tears started to roll down Abby's cheeks.

Bonnie tossed a box of Kleenex at her. "Grams turned to alcohol for awhile and at first, I didn't get it. Now I do. I get a lot of things now that I didn't get before."

"I was a coward to leave you."

Bonnie shook her head. Abby moved toward her and Bonnie stepped back.

"The Elijah threat is real. I want to protect you. I can," Abby said. "Years ago I should have stayed. I didn't. Running away is not an option anymore. You can hate me, but I'm not leaving. I will not let anyone hurt you."

BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ

Jeremy's inspection of the two-story penthouse revealed there was a lot he didn't know about his sister's former boyfriend. After dropping his things in the bedroom across from the room Bonnie had chosen, he went in search of Stefan and found the vampire in his well-stocked kitchen doing a damn good impression of a chef.

The stove and fridge were stainless steel. Granite covered the countertops. Apparently, Stefan didn't skimp on anything. Jeremy realized there was far too much he didn't know about the guy. As he watched Stefan remove a pan of lasagna from the oven and cover it with foil, Jeremy wondered if trusting the vampire to keep Bonnie safe was the right plan. Being compelled had left him a little hazy on the details, but he had definitely recognized the tension between Stefan, Damon, and Elena. Not to mention, Elena's disgusting make-out session with Damon—ew.

"You don't like garlic?" Stefan asked mid-chop.

Jeremy shook his head. "It's okay."

"You made a face," Stefan said with a shrug. He palmed the garlic and placed it in a Ziploc bag. "How about salad?"

"You don't have to cook for us."

"You have to eat," the vampire said. "Neither of you ate along the way and it's something you need to do."

"It's hard to have an appetite when you're running for your life."

Stefan nodded. His attention returned to lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and kalamata olives. He washed and diced the vegetables before tossing them into an appetizing salad.

"Have you been a chef?" Jeremy asked.

"Maybe once or a twice. I've been a lot of things," Stefan admitted.

"Nice place. It can't come cheap."

"It was when I bought it."

"Does Elena know about it?" Jeremy asked.

Stefan met his stare. "No."

"Does anyone else?"

"I have a lot of properties in a lot of places," Stefan said. "They won't find us here."

"They can't. I don't care what happens to me, but Bonnie…" He paused. "Nothing can happen to her. I've already lost too many people."

"Does that include Elena?"

Jeremy hesitated before he answered. The question felt loaded. He wasn't sure how much Stefan knew about Elena and Damon. The kiss at the hotel had grossed Jeremy out, but Stefan's reaction would have been different. Hell, Jeremy remembered how he felt when he saw Bonnie in her stepbrother's arms. That memory still irked him and after the pain he put her through, he certainly had no right to feel anything. But what Stefan and Elena had…well, Jeremy had his opinions about his sister that the younger Salvatore might not like or understand.

"Jeremy?"

"Of course I don't want anything to happen to her, but so much of this is because of her," he said, just barely containing his frustration. "I'm tired of her selfishness. The world shouldn't revolve around her."

"You don't know what you're talking about—"

"I know that Bonnie lost her grandmother because of you, your brother, and Elena. I also know that because of Elena and her misplaced loyalty to Elijah, Bonnie's mother was turned into a vampire. So don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. I've known Elena a lot longer than you have," Jeremy said. "You think you know her, but you don't know her the way I do. I love her, but she has a way of hurting those closest to her."

"She has a good heart," Stefan said. He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself as much as he was confirming it to Jeremy.

"It doesn't excuse the trail of broken ones she leaves behind. My sister isn't perfect, Stefan," Jeremy said. "It's time to take off the rose-colored glasses."

The vampire offered no further argument. Jeremy took that as his cue that the conversation was over. The dinner smelled divine. Hunger pangs hit him with a blinding intensity. Before he could question himself, he'd prepared two plates with piping hot lasagna and a salad dressed in Stefan's fresh vinaigrette dressing. Stefan found a tray from one of the cabinets. They set both plates, cutlery, and napkins on top.

Jeremy headed to the fridge for drinks but Stefan had already pulled out a bottle of wine.

"I'm not sure about this."

"After everything we've been through, you're worried about alcohol?" Jeremy asked.

"You're both underage—"

"Stefan…c'mon, man." Jeremy laughed as he took the bottle and set it on the tray. "Where are your fancy wine glasses?"

Stefan pointed to the cabinet on the right behind Jeremy. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I've done enough of that to last a lifetime," Jeremy said. He looked over the tray. Everything looked perfect. The hard part would be getting Bonnie to eat. He figured he was up for the task.

A couple of minutes later, he found Bonnie alone in her bedroom. After closing the door behind him, he set the tray on the bed and joined her at the window. The view of Times Square was straight from a movie scene. The bright lights dazzled in the night sky. He couldn't believe all the people who continued to litter the sidewalk despite the late hour. Unable to stop himself, he moved in close to her, his arms snaking around her middle. To his relief, she relaxed into his embrace. Her slender hands slid across his arms and held him in place. Not that he had any intentions of letting her go.

"Something smells good," she said.

"Stefan made lasagna."

"Did you help?"

"No."

She laughed. He enjoyed the feel of her body moving against him. He couldn't remember the last time she'd really smiled or enjoyed herself. Pride expanded his chest at knowing that he could awaken her sense of humor when everything around them was humorless.

"Let's eat." She extricated herself from his arms but managed to take one of his hands in the process and led him to the bed.

Jeremy followed willingly. She kicked her shoes off and climbed into the middle, careful of the tray and its contents. He copied her movements as best he could and sat opposite her. They sampled the wine, but the food took most of their attention. Stefan had been right. Hunger had caught up with them. Jeremy was happy to see Bonnie dig in with full gusto. Her green eyes were bright. He wasn't about to imagine happiness lurked in the jewel-like orbs, but it was better than her looking at the world from a dull, expressionless existence.

"I kinda had it out with Abby," she confided, popping an olive into her mouth. "It wasn't pretty."

"I wondered where she was."

"She's here somewhere. She's determined to protect me," Bonnie muttered.

"What did you fight about?" He poured more wine into their glasses.

She watched him for a moment. A faint grin teased her mouth. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"No!"

Bonnie smiled at him. "I'm keeping my eye on you."

"Go right ahead." He slammed the cork back in the bottle and set it on the nightstand. "I'm keeping my eye on you, too."

"Do you ever think about the what ifs?" She had wiped her hands and mouth with the napkin. Now her full attention was on him.

Jeremy did the same. As he considered her question, he reloaded the tray with their empty plates before setting it on the floor beside the bed. Once that was out of the way, he rolled onto his side and said, "All the time. I really screwed up. Anna never mean—"

"No, don't. I'm not talking about that."

"I'd like to," he said. "I want you to know that I love you."

"Jeremy…"

"I understand if you still hate me a little—"

"I don't hate you," she said, rolling onto her side so that their eyes were level. "Not a little or at all. In fact, I'm not mad at you anymore."

"Oh?"

"I'm not sure when it happened. I wanted to hold on to it, but I couldn't. We've changed."

"I don't understand why it happened," he said. "You're the last person I'd want to hurt. And Anna… Anna? I cared about Anna, but—"

"Jeremy, you don't have to. We've already been through this."

"Yes, I do. I have to tell you. When I was compelled to leave, we were robbed of time. We should have had the chance to work things out back then, but we didn't get that. Then so much other shit happened." He swallowed so hard it hurt. "I remember the look on your face at my locker and the way you hugged me before I left. We could have worked it out then. I thought you hated me, but then the hug…but I was so determined to leave. I didn't want to leave, but I was compelled. All the days I thought you hated me and I knew I deserved it."

"That day at the burial house you wanted to talk, but I didn't want to listen," she reminded him. "I wasn't ready."

"Are you ready now?"

She laughed. "We're talking, aren't we?"

"Oh, yeah." He laughed. "We are."

He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Do you believe in second chances?"

"I believe in us."

"So you forgive me?" Hope lodged in his chest. It was heavy and thick, but he didn't dare wish it away.

"I can't stay mad at you forever."

His eyes narrowed as he watched her closely. "But if it makes you feel better…"

"It doesn't." She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. "You cheated on me and that hurt. I can't pretend that it didn't."

"I don't want you to pretend."

"I know. In some ways, it could be easier to ignore how I feel about you and just focus on how much your actions hurt me. That's so petty. I don't want to be petty, but…"

Jeremy waited. Seconds ticked by and she remained quiet. Then he noticed the wetness trickling down her cheeks. He moved closer until she was wrapped inside his arms. Her head rested on his chest. He wiped away her tears and whispered, "But what?"

"Abby wants forgiveness, too, but I can't give it to her. I'm not ready."

"It's okay, Bonnie." He kissed her forehead. "You don't owe her anything. You don't owe me either. It's whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I want this. You holding me," she said softly. "No one holds me like you do."

"I can do that."

Jeremy held her until she became lax against him and her breathing was slow and even. The times she had fallen asleep in his arms were few. The last time had been before he cheated and ruined everything. Having this closeness again was like a gift.

After a while, he worried about her comfort. They weren't in the best position on the bed. Careful not to wake her, he untangled himself from her hold, stood and gently slid his arms underneath her to right her on the bed. Her dark brown hair fanned out across the pillow, making her look like a princess in a fairytale. His very own sleeping beauty. With much restraint, he resisted the urge to kiss her.

Satisfied that she was resting, he picked up the tray and his shoes, and he headed for the door.

"Jer?" she called out in sleepy voice.

"Yeah?"

"Don't go…"

"I'm taking the tray back to the kitchen," he said.

She sat up and gave him a long look. "Come back."

"Okay." He dropped his shoes at the door and stepped into them. As he opened the door, she called out again.

"Bring your stuff."

Jeremy stopped at the threshold. Did he hear what he thought he heard? He turned to read her face. He had to be sure. Her full lips parted in smile as she nodded. He ignored the sudden pounding in his chest. Yep, he'd heard her correctly.

"I'll be right back."

(Song credit: "Do You Believe in Us" by Jon Secada)

**[A/N: If you're still reading this, THANK YOU! And a big thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites. I appreciate it. Your continued interest means more than I can say, so please don't be shy. Your feedback is invaluable! As for the story, I know I said smut was coming with this chapter. I was wrong. Bonnie and Jeremy had other things in mind. They weren't fully purged of all the old stuff and it seems like this chapter did that. However, with Bonnie inviting Jeremy back to her room and telling him to bring his stuff…that should be a clue as to where the next chapter is headed. lol Also, Damon may have gone into hiding with Elena, but that doesn't mean she's gone gone. Is Stefan's NYC hideaway really as hidden as he thinks it is? Time will tell. As always, thanks for reading! I hope your holidays are fantastic and wonderful!]**


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